The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain
range of California, running 211 miles (340 km) from the Happy Isles trailhead in
Yosemite Valley south to Trail Junction on Mt. Whitney on the border of Sequoia
National Park and Inyo National Forest. For about 160 miles (257 km), the trail
follows the same footpath as the much longer Pacific Crest Trail. It is named for
naturalist John Muir.
The official length of the JMT (as stated by the USGS) is 211 miles. When this
distance was calculated by the USGS, they did not take into consideration the
amount of distance of ascent and descent. It is estimated that, when hiking north to
south, the amount of ascent of the JMT is just over 46,000 feet and the total decent is
just over 38,000 feet-- for a total of about 84,000 feet. If you divide this figure by 5,280
feet (the number of feet in a mile), the total mileage of ascent and decent is about 16
miles. Therefore the actual mileage of hiking the JMT is about 227 miles. From Trail
Crest to the summit of Mt. Whitney is two miles and from the summit down to
Whitney Portal is 11 miles. The total distance from Happy Isles to the summit of Mt.
Whitney and down to Whitney Portal is about 240 miles.
Construction of the JMT began a year after Muir's death in 1915 with a $10,000 grant
from the California legislature, and was completed in 1938 with the construction of
the "Golden Staircase" section of the trail northwest of Mather Pass.
From its northern terminus in Yosemite Valley, the trail runs northeast to Tuolomne
Meadows, passing near Half Dome, then, running parallel to the main range of the
Sierra Nevada, southeast through Yosemite National Park, Inyo and Sierra national
forests (including the John Muir and Ansel Adams wilderness areas), Devils
Postpile National Monument, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National
Park. From the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail at the summit of Mt. Whitney,
an additional 11-mile (18-km) hike is required to reach the nearest trailhead at
Whitney Portal, thus making an end-to-end traverse of the trail effectively 222 miles
(357 km).
With the exception of the first nine miles at the northern end climbing out of Yosemite
Valley, the elevation of the John Muir Trail seldom dips below 8,000 feet (2438 m).
The trail crosses six passes in excess of 11,000 feet (3353 m): from north to south,
Donohue Pass, Muir Pass, Mather Pass, Pinchot Pass, Glen Pass, and Forester
Pass (the highest, at 13,153 feet (4009 m).
HIKING
The primary hiking season is usually from July through September, though snow
may linger on the higher passes well into August following heavy snow years. Early
season hikers -- including Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers headed north for Canada --
have to contend not only with the snowpack and icy slopes near the passes, but with
streams swollen with snowmelt. Trail conditions are less demanding later in the
season after the snowmelt concludes, and the weather generally remains pleasant
for hiking through September.
Weather during the hiking season is generally sunny and dry, but afternoon
thunderstorms are not uncommon. The trail is used primarily by backpackers and
dayhikers, but also by runners, trail riders, and pack trains. Backpackers travelling at
a generous pace usually complete the trail in two to three weeks.
A permit is required to hike the JMT, which is obtained from the national park or
forest where the hiker begins the hike. This single permit is valid for the entire hike.
Most JMT thru-hikers find it easier to obtain a permit at the Yosemite end, as those
seeking to begin their hike at the southern trailhead at Whitney Portal must compete
for permits with dayhikers climbing Mt. Whitney. Backpackers entering the Sierra
backcountry on multi-day trips are generally required to carry their food in approved
hard-sided storage containers known as bear canisters to protect their food and
other scented items from theft by black bears, which are common in the region.
The John Muir Trail is traditionally hiked north to south, from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney.
There are advantages to starting in Yosemite Valley and hiking south. Although there
is a significant net altitude gain this way, starting at a lower altitude allows the hiker
time to acclimate to the elevations of the trail rather than immediately having to tackle
a 6,000-foot (1,800-meter) climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney. In addition, there are
several resupply points convenient to the JMT during its northern half (Tuolumne
Meadows, Reds Meadow, Vermillion Valley Ranch, Muir Trail Ranch), allowing the
hiker to carry a lighter food load early in the hike and also to exit the trail easily if
problems arise. The southern half of the JMT is more remote and generally higher in
elevation, thus making it more appropriate for the second half of the hike when
maximum conditioning has been attained.
